Business

If you enjoy the outdoors, this is the chance to help beautify the trails & gardens at the DeGraaf Nature Center.

With warm weather on its way, individuals, families, groups & organizations are invited to register to help spruce up the Nature Center on Saturday, April 9 from 10am through 12pm. DeGraaf is located at 270 S. River Avenue in Holland, Michigan.

A pancake lunch with maple syrup will be provided at noon for volunteers.

Minor remodeling at the Secretary of State Office in Holland, MI means the office will be closed for one day, Tuesday, July 14, 2015. The office, located at 587 E. Eighth St. in Holland, will resume normal hours at 9:00am on Wednesday, July 15th.

The project involves moving the Self-Service Station and changing counters to improve the flow of customers. Ruth Johnson, Secretary of State, says, “This is part of our commitment to continuously improve our service and the experience of customers who visit an office.” “Area residents can do many transactions on line also at ExpressSOS.com, but when they do visit our place of business, we want them to have the best experience possible.”

The closest Secretary of States Offices to Holland are Grand Haven, Hudsonville and Allegan.

To find additional information on offices, please go to www.michigan.gov/sos. You can also call 1-888-767-6424.

Ottawa County has named Hillary Hovinga as Director of Marketing and Communications for United Way. She will be responsible for the development and implementation of Greater Ottawa County United Way’s marketing strategies, planning, marketing communications and public relations activities.

Previously she worked with United Way as a marketing and graphic design contractor. She brings over ten years of experience in the field of marketing, public relations and graphic design.

Hillary lives in Holland with her husband and two daughters. She volunteers at Engedi Church and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Children’s Advocacy Center along with other organizations.

Approximately 225 guests were in attendance on Wednesday, April 22nd at The Michigan West Coast Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Midtown Center to honor two recipients for the 2015 Minority Business Award.

Lon Aguilar of Promesa Logistics and Andrew Lebron of the Bank of Holland were both honored. Lon became an entrepreneur in 1997, starting a business as a sole operator. As it grew, the company held the philosophy to provide a very personalized service for their customers. The company has grown 50% and looks forward to continued growth.

Applications for the 2015 Lakeshore ATHENA Scholarship Program are now being accepted at the Michigan West Coast Chamber of Commerce. The scholarships, offered through the Lakeshore ATHENA Awards Program, a collaboration of The Chamber of Grand Haven, Spring Lake and Ferrysburg, Michigan West Coast Chamber of Commerce, and the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce, assist women in reaching their full potential through financial support for training programs and education.

Amy Elston has been promoted to marketing manager. Elston has more than eight years of experience in construction management and has been with E&V since 2013. In her new role, Elston will be responsible for oversight of all the marketing activities and initiatives including sales proposals and presentations, special events and branding. She earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and commercial real estate from Marquette University.

HOLLAND, Mich.-- Elzinga & Volkers Construction Professionals kicked off its second annual 'Alive 365: Safety Week' with a safety symposium on Friday, March 13 at The Pinnacle Center.

Representatives from Associated Builders and Contractors of West Michigan, American Subcontractors Association, Inc. and The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration were on hand to discuss various industrial safety topics. Keynote speaker, Dr. John Austin, an internationally recognized expert in proving behavior-based solutions to organizational challenges, discussed the importance of safety leadership within organizations.